Pivotal carriage for traveling roller platens



PIVOTAL CARRIAGE FOR TRAVELING ROLLER PLATENS Filed May '7, 1962 Oct. 13, 1964 Aw..1. HANsoN ETAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,0 mRK r m10 A RS Oct. 13, 1964 w. J. HANsoN ETAL PIVOTAL CARRIAGE FOR TRAVLING ROLLER PLATENS Filed May 7, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Man/9 J1 /An/SOA/ Gammes O. Imm/5m( United States Patent O 3,152,543 PIVOTAL CARRIAGE FOR TRAVELING ROLLER PLATENS Walter J. Hanson, Old Greenwich, and Charles 0. Kishibay, Trumbull, Conn., assignors to Pitney-Bowes, Inc., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,740 11 Claims. (Cl. lill-269) This invention relates to improvements in printing mechanism, particularly of the type having means for receiving indicia-bearing cards forming printing elements, which, with indicia on other variable printing elements, may imprint on worksheets desired information relating to business transactions.

More specifically stated, the present invention provides an improved machine for imprinting on sales slips data contained on a credit card, for instance, identifying a customer along with data of the `transaction and the amount thereof involved.

The improved machine is of the type in which an irnpression cylinder is traveled over the sales slip which is interposed between the printing elements and the cylinder with suflicient pressure to cause impressions to be made on the sales slip from a carbon or like transfer sheet.

One of the features of the invention is the provision of means for preventing the inadvertent double printing of a sales slip which would occur if the impression cylinder were caused or allowed to apply pressure to the sales slip while traveling both to and from a starting position.

For this purpose, the impression cylinder is mounted for swinging movement between printing ,and nonprinting positions. In addin'on, means are provided for requiring the pressure cylinder to be swung to nonprinting position at the end of its printing stroke before it can be returned and for retaining it in nonprinting position while returning to starting position.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of means for conveniently and variably adjusting the printing position of the impression cylinder carriage relative to the printing instrumentalities mounte-d on a supporting bed so that pressure produced between the instrumentalities and the cylinder may be accurately controlled.

This is accomplished by causing a carriage in which the cylinder is mounted to be positioned by a stationary guide rod and vproviding on the carriage, substantially in alignment with the line of contact of the cylinder, work-adjustable means for controlling the position of the carriage relative to the work.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of means for moving the impression cylinder closer to or farther from the printing instrumentalities in order to obtain the desired printing pressure on the work.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the imprinting machine of this invention, the carriage being shown in printing position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of one of the guide rollers.

FIG, 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2 of the guide roller.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the machine of this invention with the forward part of the casing removed and the mechanism shown in section taken on the line 4 4 of FIG, l, the carriage being shown in printing position.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1, showing the carriage and impression cylinder in starting position.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. l, showing the impression cylinder carriage in its returning position in dot and dash lines.

FIG. 7 is `a detailed view showing the means for con- 3,l52,543 Patented Get. 13., 1964 rice nel

trolling the printing pressure of the cylinder against the work.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section taken on the line 8 8 of FIG. 7 showing the detent notches in the pressure control knob.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the imprinting machine of the present invention has casing 1) having sides 11 and a top plate 12 forming a hed 13 having a recess 14 complementary to a printing element l5 such as a plastic card having thereon embossed characters or other indicia identifying the customer, for instance, to be imprinted on a work sheet such as sales slips, e-tc.

Other data such as the date of the transaction and the amount involved and/or dealer identification, for instance, niay be imprinted on the sales slip from fixed or selectively settable type on the machine.

For this purpose, there are date type Wheels 15 which are settahle by hand by the operator in a manner well known in the art, .and there are numeral type wheels 17 having type faces 18 which are settable to indica-te the amount of the transaction. The date type wheel 16 and the numeral type Wheel 17 Vare preferably formed of one of the conventional plastic materials .and are supported on shafts 19 and 20, respectively, so as to have their type faces located in the printing plane predeterminedly spaced from the plane of the bed 13. The numeral type wheels 17 have notches 21 between the type faces 13 and these are engaged by teeth 22 on rack bars 23 slidable on a plate 24 and forming part of a frame 25 secured to the underside of the top plate 12. The rack bars 23 are separated by spacers 26 and are each held in forwardly extended position and lare returned to that position by a cable 27 extending across the rear end of the rack bars and adapted to engage a notch 28 in each of the bars. The cables are rewound on spring actuated drums 29. The forward end of the rack bars 23 extend beyond the main portion of the frame into an auxiliary forwardly extended portion 30 having fore and aft slots 31 spaced across a top plate through which extensions 32 on the rack bars 23 extend, the extensions 32 being of various lengths and shapes so as to reach from the compactly located rack bars 23 to the expanded ends of the rack bars where they are provided with nger pieces 33 mounted thereon outside of the slots 31. Movements of the finger pieces 33 forwardly or rearwardly set the numeral type Wheels i7 to bring the desired type to printing position and this is indicated by number wheel 3d engaging the rack bars 23 Iand having on their faces numerals which may be viewed through a sight-opening 35 in the casing.

The wheel-setting rack bars 23 are held in positions to which they are manually set by detent notches 36 along their bottom edges which engage detent springs 37 mounted on the underside of the plate 24.`

In order to cause impressions to be taken from interchangeable embossed cards 15 and from the date wheels 16 and numeral Wheels 17, there is provided a relatively large diameter impression cylinder 38 formed of one of the conventional plastic materials and having a resiliently yielding peripheral surface, and means for guiding it in its movement across the work interposed between it and the type elements. For this purpose the present invention provides a carriage 39 for the irnpression cylinder having a bearing sleeve 40 slideably mounted on a fixed guide rod 41 secured in vertical supports 42 forming part of the casing 10. The carriage 39 has a yoke portion to receive the impression cylinder which is mounted to rotate on a shaft 43 having stub-shafts 44 rotatably mounted in the carriage 39. Assuming the carriage 39 is in a ixed position with relation to the printing elements, the position of the impression cylinder 38 relative to the printing elements can be varied within necessary limits by rotating the stub-shafts which are eccentric with relation to the shaft 43 on which the cylinder 38 rotates. This can be accomplished by rotating a knob 4S secured to the outer stub-shaft 44, and the result of such rotation is that the impression surface of the cylinder as it passes over the type is closer to or farther from the type, thereby varying the pressure applied to the work by the peripheral surface of the impression cylinder.

The stub-shafts 44 and the operating knob 45 are held in adjusted positions by a spring operated detent ball 46 engaging detent notches 47 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) in the inner face of the knob 45.

According to the present invention, the printing position of the carriage 39 and the impression cylinder 38 is controlled by an auxiliary guide bar 48 which is mounted in the vertical supports 42 spaced from and parallel with guide bar 41. Riding on the guide bar are two anti-friction rollers 49 and 49a, one roller engaging each side of the guide bar. Each of these rollers is mounted on a bearing 5t) on an eccentric stud 51 mounted in the upper rear portion 39a of the carriage 39, as for instance, by being supported in a bushing S2, the eccentric stud 51 being held in position by set screw 53 extending through the bushing 52 engaging the stud. The outer end of the bearing 5t) is provided with a screw driver slot 54 so that when the set screw 53 is released, the bearing Sti on the stud 51 may be rotated to move the anti-friction roller thereon closer to and farther from the auxiliary guide bar 43. Thus, by moving one antifriction roller away from the guide bar and the other one toward it, the position of the carriage can be accurately controlled, and, in making the adjustment, any lost motion between the anti-friction rollers t9-49a and the guide bar 48 can be taken up.

Thus, it will be seen that according to the present invention, the carriage may be adjusted relative to the bed or the printing elements, and the impression cylinder may be adjusted relative to the carriage so that the impression cylinder may properly engage the work superposed between it and the type elements.

In the use of the machine, the date wheels 16 having been set to show the current date, the amount of the transaction is set up on the numeral wheels i7 by manipulation of the finger pieces 33 and the customers embossed identiiication card is placed in the complementary recess 14 in the bed of the machine. Then a sales slip and a transfer element, such as a carbon sheet, is placed over the printing elements and the carriage is moved across the machine to cause the impression cylinder to press the sales slip, carbon strip and type elements together and print the data on the sales slip. To facilitate this operation, the carriage is provided with an operating knob S5.

After this has been done, if the carriage were returned to starting position by operation of knob 55, it would result in a double impression being made on the sales slip and unless the sales slip were held very securely the imprint would be blurred and probably illegible as the result of the second impression being taken.

To avoid this and to permit the carriage to be returned from finish to start position without making a second impression, the auxiliary guide bar and the anti-friction rollers 49 and 49a, which control the position of the impression cylinder during the imprinting of the sales slip are so constructed and arranged that the carriage may be raised at the end of the printing operation so that the impression cylinder is clear of the sales slip and the arrangement further insures that the carriage cannot be returned to printing position until it has been brought back to starting position while clear of the sales slip.

This is accomplished by the present invention by providing clearance between the anti-friction rollers 49-49a and the auxiliary guide bar 48, when the carriage is in start position and also in tinish position. To accomplish this the guide bar 48 may be so disposed that the anti-friction roller 49 goes beyond it in reaching both start and finish positions. However, it is considered preferable at present to accomplish the result by providing a notch 56 at the finish position of the auxiliary guide bar 48 through which roller 49 may pass when the carriage has reached its linish position in printing a sales Slip and the carriage has swung upwardly about the main guide rod 4t) as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 6. As the carriage is returned to start position the anti-friction roller 49 will ride on the rear surface of the guide bar 4S and thus hold the carriage in an elevated position. When the carriage reaches the start position, as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5, the anti-friction roller 49 aligns with a notch 57 in the auxiliary guide bar 48 and this allows the carriage to drop or be moved down to printing position. As soon as the carriage moves slightly to the right from start position, as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5 and the anti-friction roller 49 passes the notch 57, the carriage is held in printing position and may not be lifted inadvertently or intentionally until it reaches the finish position at the right of the machine.

To further insure that the operator will not move the carriage toward the start position, after it has reached the finish position, before swinging the carriage upward to cause the roller 49 to pass through the notch 56, there is provided a backcheck device which is engaged by the carriage when it arrives at the finish position.

In the form of the invention shown the backcheck device comprises a spring 59 coiled about a post 60 and having a straight end 61 located in position to be engaged by a lug 62 on the carriage so as to allow the lug to pass when the carriage reaches finish position.

Since the end 61 of the spring then engages the opposite side of the lug 62, the carriage cannot be moved (because the end 61 of the spring cannot be moved in that direction) to start position until the carriage is swung up to the position shown in FIG. 6, wherein the lug 62 on the carriage has moved clear of the end 61 of the spring. The roller 49 having then been brought through the notch 56, the carriage can then be returned to start position with the impression cylinder raised from the work and type elements.

The carriage cannot be moved to printing position again until the roller 49 aligns with the notch 57 in the guide rod at the start position of the carriage.

yThe lug 62 performs the additional function of causing the rack bars 23 to be returned to normal position. For this purpose, the lug 62 has a cam surface 63 which engages one `arm 64 of a bell crank 65. The other arm 66 of the bell crank 65 has an elongate pin which overlies the ends `of the detent springs 37 when the carriage is tilted up while in finish position. The bell crank pin 67 depresses all the detents 37 which releases the rack bars 23 so that they can be returned by the spring operated cable 27.

It will be noted that the impression cylinder 38, as shown in FIG. 6, has a large diameter and a small diameter and this is because the customers identification card 15 has printing elements at different levels, the major printing portions being at a lower level so as to be engaged by the right hand portion 38a of the impression cylinder as shown in FIG. 6, while certain portions are at a higher level and are engaged by the portion 38h of a reduced diameter as shown in FIG. 6.

The sales slip Iassembly 68 shown in dot and dash lines in FIG. l may be provided with a pair of marginal holes to be placed over locating pins 69 on the bed 13.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention is described in language which is rather specific as to structural features and arrangements, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and methods herein disclosed comprises the preferred of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the scope of the language employed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like from changeable printing elements comprising:

a frame;

a bed on the frame for supporting a plate-like printing element containing indicia to be printed in raised type form and other type-bearing elements settable by the operator;

an impression cylinder for imprinting a sales slip superposed over said type-bearing elements through the medium of .a strip of transfer m-aterial;

a carriage on which the cylinder is mounted for rotation on an axis at right angles to the direction of travel of `the carriage;

means for guiding the carriage for sliding movement to move the cylinder across the type-hearing elements and cause the characters on the latter t0 be printed on the sales slip, said carriage being mounted for oscillatory movement on said guide means to permit swinging of the cylinder to and from printing position;

means for preventing oscillatory movement of the carriage to move the cylinder away from the printing position while it travels between the start and finish positions of its printing movement;

and means for preventing the return of the carriage from finish position to start position, said last-named means being rendered inoperative when the carriage is swung from printing position to non-printing position, preparatory to its return to start position.

2. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like comprising:

a frame;

means on the frame for supporting type-bearing elements;

a guide rod carried by said frame;

a carriage mounted on said guide rod for pivotal movement about the axis of the guide rod to and from a printing position and for sliding movement along the axis of the guide rod between star-t and iinish positions of printing movement;

an impression cylinder mounted on said carriage for rotation on an axis at right angles to the axis of said guide rod for imprinting a sales slip superposed over said type-bearing elements through the medium of a strip of transfer material during said printing movement of the carriage while the latter is in said printing position;

and means operatively arranged for preventing said pivotal movement tof the carriage away from said printing position during said printing movement of the carriage;

said means for preventing pivotal movement of the carriage including a stationary bearing member iixed on said frame and having a stationary bearing surface formed thereon which extends substantially parallel to said guide rod and to the direction of movement of said carriage and which is engaged by said carriage during the printing movement of said carriage, said bearing member and said guide trod both being disposed adjacent the same axial end of said impression cylinder so as to form a cantilever type supporting means for said carriage during said carriage printing movement.

3. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for preventing said pivotal movement of the carriage includes an auxiliary guide rod carried by said frame and extending parallel with said irst-named guide rod;

and means on the carriage engaging opposite parallel surfaces of the auxiliary guide rod during said printing movement of the carriage while the latter is in said printing position.

4. A device for imprinting sales slips and fthe like as defined in claim 3 including means for adjusting the axis of the impression cylinder :on the carriage to vary the position of the latter relative to the printing elements.

5. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like as delined in claim 2, wherein said last-named means includes antifriction rollers on the carriage engaging opposite sides of the said stationary bearing member.

6. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like as defined in claim 5, in which said rollers are mounted on eccentric studs adjustably mounted on the carriage to variably control the printing position of the carriage.

7. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like as defined in claim 1 in which said means for preventing the return of the carriage comprises a backcheck means and a cooperating lug on the carriage engaged thereby, said lug being mounted on the carriage to disengage the backcheck means when the carriage is pivoted from printing position to non-printing position.

8. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like comprising:

a frame;

means on the frame for supporting type-bearing elements;

a guide rod carried by said frame;

a carriage mounted on said guide rod for pivotal movement about the axis of the guide rod to and from a printing position and for sliding movement along the axis of the guide rod between start and iinish positions of printing movement;

an impression cylinder mounted on said carriage for rotation on an axis at right angles to the axis of said guide rod for imprinting a sales slip superposed lover said type-bearing elements through the medium of a strip of transfer material during said printing movement of the carriage while the latter is in said printing position;

means operatively arranged for preventing said pivotal movement of the carriage away from said printing position during said printing movement of the carriage;

said means for preventing said pivotal movement of the carriage including an auxiliary guide rod carried by said frame and extending parallel with said first named guide rod; and means on the carriage engaging opposite surfaces of the auxiliary guide rod during fthe printing movement of the carriage while the latter is in said printing position, said opposite parallel surfaces of the auxiliary guide rod terminating at positions corresponding to the start and finish positions of the carriage movement whereby said last mentioned means can move past said auxiliary guide rod when the carriage is pivoted to and from printing position.

9. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like from changeable printing elements comprising:

a frame;

a bed on the frame for supponting a plate-like printing element containing indicia to be printed in raised type form and other type-bearing elements settable by the operator;

an impression cylinder for imprinting a sales slip superposed over said type-bearing elements rthrough the medium of a strip of transfer material;

a carriage on which the cylinder is mounted for rotation on an axis at right angles to the direction of travel of the carriage;

means for guiding the carriage for sliding movement to move the cylinder across the type-bearing elements and cause the characters on the latter to be printed on the sales slip, said carriage being mounted for oscillatory movement on said guide means to permit swinging of the cylinder to and from printing position;

means for preventing oscillatory movement of the carriage to move the cylinder away from the printing position while it travels between the start and nsh positions of its printing movement;

said means for guiding the carriage comprising a guide rod on which the carriage is mounted for sliding and oscillating movements;

an auxiliary guide rod parallel with said guide rod;

antifriction rollers on the carriage engaging opposite sides of the auxiliary guide rod for controlling the printing position of the carriage;

and notches in hte auxiliary guide rod at positions corresponding to the start and nish positions of the carriage through which one of said antifriotion rollers on the carriage may pass when the carriage is being oscillated to and from printing position.

10. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like from changeable printing elements comprising:

a frame;

a bed on the frame for supporitng a plate-like printing element containing indicia to be printed in raised type form and other type-bearing elements settaole by ythe operator;

an impression cylinder for imprinting a sales slip superposed over said type-bearing elements through the medium of a strip of transfer material;

a carriage on which the cylinder is mounted for rotation on an axis at right angles to the direction of travel of the carriage;

means for guiding the carriage for sliding movement to move the cylinder across the type-bearing elements and cause the characters on the latter to be printed on the sales slip, said carriage being mounted for oscillatory movement on said guide means to permit swinging of the cylinder to 1and from printing position;

means for preventing oscillatory movement of the carriage to move the cylinder away from the printing position while it travels between the start and m'sh positions `of its printing movement;

means for holding the settable type-bearing elements in selected printing positions;

means for returning the settable type-bearing elements to a normal position;

and means operated by the carriage in moving from printing to nonprinting position to release said holding means and permit the means for returning the settable type to nonprinting position to operate.

1l. A device for imprinting sales slips and the like comprising:

a frame;

means on the frame for supporting type-bearing elements;

a guide rod carried by said frame;

a carriage mounted on said guide rod for pivotal movement about the axis of the guide rod to and from a printing position and for sliding movement along the axis of the guide rod between start and finish positions of printing movement;

an impression cylinder mounted on said carriage for rotation on an axis at right angles to the axis of said guide rod for imprinting a sales slip superposed over said type-bearing elements through the medium of a strip of transfer material during said printing movement of the carriage while the latter is in said printing position;

and means operatively arranged for preventing said pivotal movement of the carriage away from said printing position during said printing movement of the carriage;

said means for preventing said pivotal movement of the carriage incluring an auxiliary guide rod carried by said frame and extending parallel with said first named guide rod; and means on the carriage engaging opposite surfaces of the auxiliary guide rod during the printing movement of the carriage while the latter is in said printing position;

said last mentioned means comprising a pair of antifriction rollers carried by the carriage and each of which is engageable with one of said opposite parallel surfaces of said guide rod;

said auxiliary guide rod providing notches at positions corresponding to the start and iinish positions of the carriage movement through which one of said antifriction :rollers can pass when the carriage is pivoted to and from said printing position,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,097 Read May 26, 1903 1,280,191 Duncan Oct. 1, 1918 1,919,954 Kranz July 25, 1933 2,092,026 Schaefer Sept. 7, 1937 3,018,725 Maul et al Jan. 30, 1962 3,056,347 Dashew et al Oct. 2, 1962 3,064,560 Perry et al Nov. 20, 1962 

1. A DEVICE FOR IMPRINTING SALES SLIPS AND THE LIKE FROM CHANGEABLE PRINTING ELEMENTS COMPRISING: A FRAME; A BED ON THE FRAME FOR SUPPORTING A PLATE-LIKE PRINTING ELEMENT CONTAINING INDICIA TO BE PRINTED IN RAISED TYPE FORM AND OTHER TYPE-BEARING ELEMENTS SETTABLE BY THE OPERATOR; AN IMPRESSION CYLINDER FOR IMPRINTING A SALES SLIP SUPERPOSED OVER SAID TYPE-BEARING ELEMENTS THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF A STRIP OF TRANSFER MATERIAL; A CARRIAGE ON WHICH THE CYLINDER IS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON AN AXIS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE CARRIAGE; MEANS FOR GUIDING THE CARRIAGE FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT TO MOVE THE CYLINDER ACROSS THE TYPE-BEARING ELEMENTS AND CAUSE THE CHARACTERS ON THE LATTER TO BE PRINTED ON THE SALES SLIP, SAID CARRIAGE BEING MOUNTED FOR OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT ON SAID GUIDE MEANS TO PERMIT SWINGING OF THE CYLINDER TO AND FROM PRINTING POSITION; MEANS FOR PREVENTING OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE TO MOVE THE CYLINDER AWAY FROM THE PRINTING POSITION WHILE IT TRAVELS BETWEEN THE START AND FINISH POSITIONS OF ITS PRINTING MOVEMENT; AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE RETURN OF THE CARRIAGE FROM FINISH POSITION TO START POSITION, SAID LAST-NAMED MEANS BEING RENDERED INOPERATIVE WHEN THE CARRIAGE IS SWUNG FROM PRINTING POSITION TO NON-PRINTING POSITION, PREPARATORY TO ITS RETURN TO START POSITION. 